A COCO-DE-MER BEGGING BOWL (KASHKUL)
Qajar Iran, late 19th - early 20th century

Of typical curved and oblong shape, with a rounded opening in the middle of the top, the exterior fully carved with nasta'liq epigraphic inscriptions reading the names of the 12 Shi'a Imams and 14 Innocents on the sides, the top and bottom with several elements of figural decorations including 'Ali on his steed, a Prophet holding a sword and flanked by a lion or wolf ready to attack, and a banquet scene with the Safavid Shah Tahmasp and the Mughal Emperor Humayun surrounded by dancers and attendants, the composition inspired by the famous fresco in the Chehel Sotun Palace, the sides pierced and fitted with a later-added metal chain, 30cm x 13cm at its widest points.